Yarn



Patented, Feb. is, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE YARN I Austin N. Oppenheim, New York, N. Y., assignor to Unique Fibers, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application October 12, 1944, Serial No. 558,464

This invention relates to yarns made of a mixture or blend of fibres and is concerned more par- 5 Claims. (Cl. 57-140) ticularly with a novel yam which may be em- 5 ployed in the production of knitted and woven fabrics which are of unusual and attractive appearance and extraordinary softness in hand and drape, and in some forms, have the quality of providing warmth without the weight normally necessary for that purpose. The new yarn offers the further advantage that it can be produced at a relatively low cost for preparing and spinning operations and may be handled in weaving or knitting without changesin the usual machines or methods. v

The yarn of the invention is made of a mixture in varying proportions of staple length synthetic fibres, wool, and animal fur, and by the term fur I mean to include both the fur and hair of animals, or a mixture thereof. In the yarn, these constituents serve specific purposes and impart desirable characteristics.

' The synthetic fibres that may be employed in making the new yarn are any of the usual synthetic textile fibres, such as rayon, including cellulose derivatives, such as cellulose acetate, and various others. The fibres may vary in denier depending on the type and purpose of the yarn to be made, and may be employed in the usual commercial dealers of .75 to and in the staple lengths commonly employed in the production of yarns from such staple fibres by the cotton system of" preparing and spinning. The proportion of the synthetic fibres in the new yarn may range from about to'about 85%, and they .act as a carrier and provide body' and give the yarn softness and smoothness.

The wool fibres employed in thenew yarn are those of the usual commercial varieties derived from sheep and they arepreliminarily treated to remove grease, dirt, and burs by the ordinary methods. The wool fibres have such staple length and are present in the yarn'in such proportions as to permit th fibrous-mixture to be handled on the cotton system. Ordinarilythe wool fibres will have'a stapl length not to exceed 2%", although the length may be substantially shorter. In the newyarn, the wool performs the function of binding in the other fibres and it strengthens the yarn. Also, it gives fullness, spring, and resilience to fabric made of the yarn and prevents the fabric from becoming soggy when. wet. The wool may be employed in proportions varying from about 5% to about 60%, with the content preferably kept within such limits as. to permit th yarn to be produced by the use of the cotton system.

The animal fur used may be of various kinds andthat of the mink, beaver, ermine, fox, nutria, opossum, sable, seal, muskrat, raccoon, or squirrel is most suitable. Camel hair, and cashmere, llama, alpaca, and angora fibres may also be em-v ployed but, if the staple lengths of such fibres are too long to permit them being handled on the cotton-system, the staple lengths must be appropriately adjusted. The fur imparts softness and richness and other qualities to fabrics made of the new yarn and also gives such fabrics an unusual and handsome appearance.

The furs of different animals differ considerably in their physical characteristics and, because of that, they produce difierent effects in the fabric. Accordingly, I may use combinations of furs of two or more different kinds to obtain effects not obtainable by using a single fur. Thus, mink fur is soft and lustrous while muskrat fur has those qualities to a less degree 1 but imparts more spring and crease-resistance j to. the fabric. For some fabrics, mink or muskrat fur alone is employed, while in others, a mixture of the two furs is used. the choice depending on the qualities that the final fabric is desired to have. Silver fox fur is long and soft and its use .enhances the richness of the fabric. Beaver is a, shorter fur which contributes less than the fox fur to the appearanc of the fabric but gives more body and crease-resistance and makes thev fabric warmer.

Ermine is another soft fur which makes the fabric soft and rich, while raccoon fur is longer and stiffer and is ordinarily used in a fabric for outdoor wear as, for example, for sports wear. The selections of the furs to be used will be readily understood by those familiar with the characteristics of furs.

The proportions of the constituent fibres of the Fur ' A fabric made of such yarn has characteristics 1 count.

, i 3 within a desired price range. Some variations may also be desirable, depending on the ultimate use of the yarn, that is, depending on whether it is .to be used in weaving or knitting operations.

The ranges in which the different fibres may be present in the new yarn areas follows:

Per cent synthetic fibres 15-85 Wool 5-601 Fur ,10-60 For yarns to be used in weaving, the analysis will ordinarily be as follows:

' Per cent Synthetic fibres 20-85 Wool Fur -60 For yarns to be used in knitting, the analysis e 4 1 e finished width of 40''; Such a fabric is suitable for dress manufacture.

will ordinarily be the following:

. Per cent Synthetic fibres 15-55 Wool -60 Fur 10-60 A yarn for weaving which will produce a fabric of the following approximate analysis:

- Per cent Synthetic fibres 20 Wool 20 dominated by the major proportion of fur presem; and is notable for its rich, luxurious ap-- pearance, softness, etc.

Another yarn for weaving purposes which can be employed in the production of a fabric of excellent quality and desirable characteristics has the following I approximate analysis:

I Per cent Synthetic fibres 7 0 W001 10 Fur A yarn for use in weaving a low cost fabric Yarns for knitting purposes and to be used in the production of goodsof successively higher quality-are given in the following three approximateanalyses: Y

1 i Per cent It is to be understood that, in all the foregoing analyses, the synthetic fibres present may be all of the same kind or they may be a blend or mixture of different kinds. The synthetic fibres may vary in respect to lustre or brightness and in some yarns, bright material may be used, for

' example, while, in others, dull fibres may be preferred. Similarly, .the fur fibres present within the ranges specified may be all of one kind or a mixture may be employed for the purposes previously mentioned. I I

As I have pointed out in the foregoing, the new yarn may be. spun on the cotton system provided the amount of wool is within certain limits and the staple lengths of the synthetic fibres and of the fur are suitable. Production of the yarn on the cotton system is preferred because of low cost and ease in manufacture by that method, but it is to be understood that the new which has desirable characteristics but in a less degree-than fabrics made by yarns of the preceding analyses for-weaving yarns comprises the following:

. Per cent Synthetic fibres 85 Wool 5 Fur I v A typical woven fabric made of the new yarn yarn can also be produced on the woolen system. In that event, the restrictions on the staple lengths of the constituents will be considerably broadened but the cost of the yarn is likely to be increased.

The new yarns may be of the singles type or they may bemade of a number of strands plied together. The weights of the yams will vary according to the type of fabric to be made therefrom and the twist multiplier used will vary in a similar way. As-is well known, a fabric made of hard twisted yarn wears better for some purwhich exhibits to excellent advantage the char- 7 acteristics derived from the use of that yarn is of the following specification: The yarn comprises -.of spun rayon, 10% of wool, and 20% of a mixture of mink and muskrat fur. The rayon is a dull viscose of 1 denier and 1 /16" staple length, ,and the wool is the grade known ,as No. 70 Cape and has a staple length of about 2". The fur mixture'contains mink and muskrat in varying proportions, and the furs have their natural staple lengths. The warp is a single yarn of about 16s count, according to the cotton counts, and the filling; is a single yarn of 9s filling twist multiplier is 3.5. The fabric is a 2x2 twill containing 45 warp ends and 38 picks per inch, and it has a greige width of 44" and The warp twist multiplier is 4.25 and the poses and hase greater crease-resistance than one made of yarn of softer twist. However, a fabric of hard twisted yam' is harsh' and less pliable and does not drape so well as a fabric made of yarn of softer twist. The new yarn produces fabrics that are softer, more'pliable,

and of better draping qualities than similar fabrics made of prior yarns of the same twist. The

new yarn thus makes it possible to produce fabrics that have excellent durabilityand crease-- resistance and are, at the same time, softer and richer than prior similar fabricsof the same wearing qualities. q

Iclaim: 1--- 1. A yarn for weaving and knitting purposes fwhich comprises a spun blended mixture composed of from 15% to of synthetic fibres,

from 5% to about 60% of wool, and from 10% to about 60% ofa mixture of furs of different physical characteristics.

2. A- yarn which comprises about 30% ofsynthetic fibres, about 10% of wool, and about 20% of a mixture of furs of different physical characteristics.

and about 20% of a mixture of mink and musk- .rat fur, both kinds of fur being present in substahtial amounts. 1

4. A yarn which consists of about 70% of synthetic fibres of staple length, about 10% of wool,

and about 20% of a mixture of diiferent kinds of fur present, in each instance, in a substantial amount, the fibres of one kind of fur being soft and lustrous and those of another having greater springiness.

5. 'A yarn which comprises about 70% of synthetic fibers, about 10% oi wool, and about 20% of a mixture of'furs of different physical characteristics; said mixture containing a substantial proportion or mink fur.

' AUSTIN N. OPPENHEIM.

The following references are of record in the REFERENCES CITED file of this patent:

15 Number Lo wnes, Jr., et a1. Dec. 15, 1936 THall May 13, 1319 Bioodgood Aug. 15, 1895 Dreyfus Sept. 12, 1939 o Lownes,,Jr., et al. Dec. 15, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS I Country Date British '1911 French t April 19, 1934 

